I have 1 question regarding eBay dropshipping. Can anyone please help?

[bogdy23]

Hello,

I want to start a business in the UK on eBay. I live in Romania in the EU. My question is if I have a supplier from outside the UK, say Ali Express, and I ship toys and other simple household items from China to someone in the UK, do I need to have an LLC even from the first month?

Will UK customs ask me if I have an LLC, will I have to pay VAT?
I live in Romania and I`m shipping stuff from suppliers like TESCO and Ali Express and other suppliers inside the UK. Do I need an LLC from the start, or can I wait for 2-3 months to test stuff out, and if I`m making a profit, should I move forward?

Also, I wasn`t planning to ask this, but I`m gonna do it anyway. Say I buy from Ali Express, it`s probably gonna take 3 weeks to get it to the UK. Will UK clients wait that long? How do I avoid a chargeback? Do I just say in the description of the product I sell on eBay that the item will arrive in 2-3 weeks, and IF they haven`t read it, tough luck. After all I`m dropshipping so I`m using their money to buy the item. I just need to know If I can make it by for 2-3 months and then open my LLC here in Romania (accountants are really expensive, especially since BREXIT)

 

[WaveJumper]

Personally I hate Ebay in fact I thought it had died a slow death, as I say that's my personal opinion of the site. And I would never wait three weeks for something to arrive not when i can go on Amazon and have it delivered the next day.

Plenty on here who have more experience with drop shipping etc who maybe able to advise, but regarding charge backs you are never really going to protect your business from these.

 

[Nathanto]

it`s probably gonna take 3 weeks to get it to the UK. Will UK clients wait that long? How do I avoid a chargeback? Do I just say in the description of the product I sell on eBay that the item will arrive in 2-3 weeks, and IF they haven`t read it, tough luck.

Amazon's "order at 10pm and still get (practically free) next day delivery" means customer's expectations are higher than ever.

I buy around 95% off Amazon for this very reason and am often disappointed with ebay's 2 to 3 DAY deliveries; most things I simply wouldn't/couldn't wait 2 to 3 WEEKS and, for those items where I could wait, the price would have to be significantly cheaper to even consider it.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

Yeah...for the reasons outlined above, forget this idea.

What makes you think you can sit in Romania, sell things on eBay that can be bought on AliExpress, with an extra margin for yourself, and then make people wait the same amount of time as if they just bought them on AliExpress?

Bonkers.

 

[bogdy23]

Yeah...for the reasons outlined above, forget this idea.

What makes you think you can sit in Romania, sell things on eBay that can be bought on AliExpress, with an extra margin for yourself, and then make people wait the same amount of time as if they just bought them on AliExpress?

Bonkers.

Hi, thanks for your answers, everyone. Yes, but the question remains, can you do this kind of business in the beginning without having an LLC or being an independent contractor? Is it possible to do for 2-3 months, or it not because when the merchandise goes to the person in the UK, it can only pass customs if you have an LLC This is my most pressing question.

 

[bogdy23]

Personally I hate Ebay in fact I thought it had died a slow death, as I say that's my personal opinion of the site. And I would never wait three weeks for something to arrive not when i can go on Amazon and have it delivered the next day.

Plenty on here who have more experience with drop shipping etc who maybe able to advise, but regarding charge backs you are never really going to protect your business from these.

You can also do retail arbitrage, buy from TESCO or another kind of big stores, and a list of UK dropshipping suppliers that can ship stuff.

But the question is, do you need an LLC, or can I, Billy Nobody, post stuff on my eBay store (after using Zik Analytics to search for a trending product) and have the dropshipper company, the store, or a fulfillment agency send the product to the person in the UK?

If it`s from the UK to the UK, I`m guessing you don`t need an LLC. But if it`s from China, for example, then do you need an LLC for customs? Is this the problem? Do you need any kind of juridical entity, or an LLC, or an Independent contractor?

Thank you for trying to help

 

[bogdy23]

Amazon's "order at 10pm and still get (practically free) next day delivery" means customer's expectations are higher than ever.

I buy around 95% off Amazon for this very reason and am often disappointed with ebay's 2 to 3 DAY deliveries; most things I simply wouldn't/couldn't wait 2 to 3 WEEKS and, for those items where I could wait, the price would have to be significantly cheaper to even consider it.

I remember my mom she asked me to buy her something from a shitty store. The period was long, and we didn't get the thing in the color I asked for.

But the guy with the online store still makes money. Bear in mind, this is Romania, not as civilized, but a lot of people from my country move to the UK because they don`t need to learn another language.

They get half the salary of a regular UK citizen. Those people are gonna need toys for their children, they are gonna need stuff.

I can tell you're on this forum, you have a company, you are doing all right, but not everyone is like that. There are also a lot of poor people in the UK. They are suppliers of original products that work only for UK dropshipping companies. I`m not looking to become a millionaire; I`m looking to make a couple of thousand dollars a month because I can`t find a job due to health issues.

So in my opinion, there are people who will wait. This is not the majority of the UK, but there are people making money from this.

 

[Newchodge]

You can also do retail arbitrage, buy from TESCO or another kind of big stores, and a list of UK dropshipping suppliers that can ship stuff.

But the question is, do you need an LLC, or can I, Billy Nobody, post stuff on my eBay store (after using Zik Analytics to search for a trending product) and have the dropshipper company, the store, or a fulfillment agency send the product to the person in the UK?

If it`s from the UK to the UK, I`m guessing you don`t need an LLC. But if it`s from China, for example, then do you need an LLC for customs? Is this the problem? Do you need any kind of juridical entity, or an LLC, or an Independent contractor?

Thank you for trying to help

By LLC do you mean Limited Company? By Independent Contractor do you mean sole trader? Why do you think you need any kind of official presence in the UK?

 

[bogdy23]

By LLC do you mean Limited Company? By Independent Contractor do you mean sole trader? Why do you think you need any kind of official presence in the UK?

Hello, yes, exactly. That`s what I mean if I import something from China and sell it in the UK. OR If you buy something for a UK person for another person in the UK. DO I need any kind of company or legal entity at least in the beginning, the first 3 months? Do customs ask for any kind of documentation?

 

[Newchodge]

Hello, yes, exactly. That`s what I mean if I import something from China and sell it in the UK. OR If you buy something for a UK person for another person in the UK. DO I need any kind of company or legal entity at least in the beginning, the first 3 months? Do customs ask for any kind of documentation?

I don't see why you need any kind of organisation in the UK, but someone wiser than me may be along soon. How will the UK customer pay you?

Customs will need documentation, normally arranged by the shipper.

 

[bogdy23]

I don't see why you need any kind of organisation in the UK, but someone wiser than me may be along soon. How will the UK customer pay you?

Customs will need documentation, normally arranged by the shipper.

Hello, so I`m worried I need either a company here in Romania. UK customs talks to Romanian customs for tax purposes. And IF I need accounting or an invoice to send to either the UK or Romania.

As far as the Romanian part, it`s ok if you only make 2000-3000$ and then start a company. But what I`m worried is the UK customs I don`t know their procedures will they ask me for something to own my own company or something like that?

I get paid via eBay payment they send me the money hold it for 2 days I then buy the product ship it. Products come either from China, Ali Express, or some UK dropshipping suppliers.

I hope this is enough information. I don`t know what else to say